Director’s Cut: Anurag Kashyap and the Return of Gritty Indian Crime Dramas 

Anurag Kashyap isn’t a filmmaker that anyone can please. He creates movies because he has a message to impart – and he has a lot to say at the moment. His upcoming films in 2025 and 2026 establish that Indian crime drama is in safe hands.

The Original Disruptor

Even before streaming algorithms, Kashyap was doing things differently. His 2012 Cannes red carpet hit Gangs of Wasseypur, won him the Filmfare Award for Best Director and had a sequel. Now, nobody was making films quite like that in India; everybody knew it.

Black Friday’s Impact

Black Friday, 2007, hit hard. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it was a docudrama about the investigation that ensued after the 1993 Ahmedabad bombings that was held up for years because of its sensitive material. When finally released, the audiences and critics knew what precisely Kashyap had created.

Dev D Redefined

In 2009, Kashyap was doing some unheard-of stuff in Dev D. His version of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Devdas was raw, experimental and was something completely new that Bollywood had never seen. It was a cult success and was proof that he was not a one-dimensional director.

Nishaanchi Arrives

In 2025, Kashyap released Nishaanchi on Amazon MGM Studios India on 25th September. According to Variety, it was set in early 2000s Uttar Pradesh, where it had newcomer Aaishvary Thackeray playing the role of the twin brothers Babloo and Dabloo. The script had been in the hands of Kashyap since 2016.

Brothers, Paths, Destiny

Nishaanchi isn’t simply a crime film. A family drama featuring brotherhood, conflicting decisions and the price of redemption. The other cast members are Vedika Pinto, Monika Panwar, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Kumud Mishra. Part 2 was released on Amazon Prime Video in November 2025.

Bandar Hits Toronto

According to Variety, Bandar (which is also known as Monkey in a Cage internationally) had its world premiere at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival last month as part of the Special Presentations section. It is a 136-minute film starring Bobby Deol and Sanya Malhotra.

Deol’s Bold Turn

The character Samar (Bobby Deol) is an ageing TV celebrity whose career and life come crashing down once he is accused of serious offences by his former TV partner. Sanya Malhotra, Sapna Pabbi, Saba Azad, and Indrajith Sukumaran make up the rest of the cast. Deol was a first-timer each day he made an appearance on set, Kashyap told Variety.

Sharma Writes Bandar

Bandar is based on a screenplay by Sudip Sharma and Abhishek Banerjee, per The Hollywood Reporter India. Sharma is the author of two of the finest crime dramas India has on offer in the recent past – Prime Video’s Paatal Lok and Netflix’s Kohrra. This is reflected in every shot.

Prisons, Truth, Tension

Bandar revolves around a very disturbing fact. Variety’s Toronto coverage found that 77 per cent of Indian prisoners are those who are undergoing a trial, with their cases taking years to settle. This is no plot-it is the whole moral crux of the film.

Crime is Back

Kashyap’s next couple of films, to be released in 2025 and 2026, are a reminder that gritty Indian storytelling never left; it just needed the right director. Bandar is set to hit theatres on June 5, 2026, under the Zee Studios banner. He will always be what he was.

About the Author

Michael Lopez

Author

View All Posts